Adaptive buffering of data received from a sensor

Abstract

In a method of adaptive buffering in a mobile device having a host processor and a sensor processor coupled with the host processor, the sensor processor is used to buffer data received from a sensor that is operated by the sensor processor, wherein the data is buffered by the sensor processor into a circular data buffer. In response to the sensor processor detecting triggering data within the received data: the sensor processor sets a start-end marker in the circular data buffer; and a command is sent from the sensor processor to a second processor.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of adaptive buffering in a mobile device having a host processor and a sensor processor coupled with said host processor:
 using said sensor processor to buffer data received from a sensor that is operated by said sensor processor, wherein said data is buffered by said sensor processor into a circular data buffer; and 
 responsive to said sensor processor detecting triggering data within said received data:
 setting, by said sensor processor, a start-end marker relative to said triggering data in said circular data buffer, wherein said start-end marker delays overwriting said triggering data until completion of an action; and 
 sending a command to execute said action from said sensor processor to a second processor. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The method as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 responsive to detection of said triggering data, buffering said received data at a different level of compression than was utilized before detection of said triggering data. 
 
     
     
       3. The method as recited in  claim 2 , further comprising:
 buffering said triggering data at a different level of compression than data received from said sensor after detection of said triggering data. 
 
     
     
       4. The method as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 responsive to said circular data buffer reaching a predetermined level of fullness, increasing compression of said received data before buffering into said circular data buffer. 
 
     
     
       5. The method as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 responsive to said circular data buffer reaching a predetermined level of fullness, replacing data previously buffered into said circular data buffer with a more highly compressed version of said previously buffered data. 
 
     
     
       6. The method as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 passing said triggering data from said sensor processor to said second processor for validation by said second processor. 
 
     
     
       7. The method as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 setting, by said sensor processor, at least one data marker for identification of specific portions of said buffered data. 
 
     
     
       8. The method as recited in  claim 7 , wherein said setting, by said sensor processor, of said at least one data marker comprises:
 setting said at least one data marker to identify said triggering data in said buffered data. 
 
     
     
       9. The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said setting, by said sensor processor, a start-end marker in said circular data buffer comprises:
 setting said start-end marker at the end of said triggering data. 
 
     
     
       10. The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said setting, by said sensor processor, a start-end marker in said circular data buffer comprises:
 setting said start-end marker at the beginning of said triggering data. 
 
     
     
       11. The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said sending a command from said sensor processor to a second processor comprises:
 sending said command from said sensor processor to said second processor, wherein said second processor is external to said mobile device. 
 
     
     
       12. The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said host processor of said mobile device is in a low-power mode, and wherein said sending a command from said sensor processor to a second processor of said mobile device comprises:
 sending a wake-up command from said sensor processor to said host processor. 
 
     
     
       13. The method as recited in  claim 12 , further comprising:
 responsive to said host processor exiting said low-power mode, passing a portion of said buffered data to said second processor. 
 
     
     
       14. The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said setting, by said sensor processor, a start-end marker in said circular data buffer comprises:
 setting said start-end marker a predetermined distance in advance of the beginning of said triggering data. 
 
     
     
       15. A sensor processing unit comprising:
 a circular data buffer; 
 a sensor; and 
 a sensor processor configured to:
 operate said sensor; 
 buffer data received from said sensor into said circular data buffer employing a first class of compression; 
 detect for triggering data within said data received from said sensor; and 
 responsive to detection of said triggering data within said received data:
 set a start-end marker relative to said triggering data in said in said circular data buffer, wherein said start-end marker delays overwriting said triggering data until completion of an action; 
 send a command to execute said action from said sensor processor, wherein said command is addressed to another processor external to said sensor processing unit; and 
 change compression of said data received from said sensor to a second class of compression, wherein said second class of compression is different than said first class of compression. 
 
 
 
     
     
       16. The sensor processing unit of  claim 15 , wherein said sensor processor is further configured to:
 increase compression of said received data before buffering into said circular data buffer in response to determining said circular data buffer has reached a predetermined level of fullness. 
 
     
     
       17. The sensor processing unit of  claim 15 , wherein said sensor processor is further configured to:
 replace data previously buffered into said circular data buffer with a more highly compressed version of said previously buffered data in response to determining said circular data buffer has reached a predetermined fullness. 
 
     
     
       18. The sensor processing unit of  claim 15 , wherein said command comprises:
 a wake-up command for said another processor, said wake-up command configured to cause said another processor to exit from a low-power mode. 
 
     
     
       19. The sensor processing unit of  claim 18 , wherein said sensor processor is further configured to:
 pass a portion of said buffered data to said another processor in response to determining said another processor has exited said low-power mode. 
 
     
     
       20. A mobile electronic device comprising:
 a host processor; 
 a sensor processing unit coupled with said host processor and configured to:
 operate a sensor of said sensor processing unit; 
 buffer data received from said sensor into a circular data buffer of said sensor processing unit employing a first class of compression; 
 detect for triggering data within said data received from said sensor; and 
 responsive to detection of said triggering data within said received data:
 set a start-end marker relative to said triggering data in said circular data buffer, wherein said start-end marker delays overwriting said triggering data until completion of an action; 
 send a command to execute said action from said sensor processing unit, wherein said command is addressed to another processor external to said sensor processing unit; and 
 change compression of said data received from said sensor to a second class of compression, wherein said second class of compression is different than said first class of compression; and 
 
 responsive to receiving a notification that said action has been executed, change said compression of said data received from said sensor to said first class of compression. 
 
 
     
     
       21. The mobile electronic device of  claim 20 , wherein said sensor processing unit is further configured to:
 increase compression of said received data before buffering into said circular data buffer in response to determining said circular data buffer has reached a predetermined level of fullness after setting of said start-end marker. 
 
     
     
       22. The mobile electronic device of  claim 20 , wherein said sensor processing unit is further configured to:
 replace data previously buffered into said circular data buffer with a more highly compressed version of said previously buffered data in response to determining said circular data buffer has reached a predetermined fullness after setting of said start-end marker. 
 
     
     
       23. The mobile electronic device of  claim 20 , wherein said command comprises:
 a wake-up command for said another processor, said wake-up command configured to cause said another processor to exit from a low-power mode. 
 
     
     
       24. The mobile electronic device of  claim 23 , wherein said sensor processing unit is further configured to:
 pass a portion of said buffered data to said another processor in response to determining said another processor has exited said low-power mode. 
 
     
     
       25. The mobile electronic device of  claim 20 , wherein said another processor is one of: said host processor, and a processor external to said mobile electronic device.